Before Babatunde Aléshé started making people laugh on stage and TV, he was just a kid cracking up at Eminem’s wild lyrics — whether he was supposed to be listening or not.
Comedian Babatunde Aléshé has become one of the most recognisable faces in British comedy, from “Taskmaster” to “Live at the Apollo”. But back in his school days, the biggest name in entertainment was not a stand-up comic — it was Eminem.
When asked about the influential artist from his childhood in a recent Big Issue interview, Aléshé did not hesitate to give an unexpected answer:
“Growing up, Eminem was definitely the biggest artist around. “Hi! My Name Is” was big in my school because my friends would swap the ‘Slim Shady’ part for my name. “The Slim Shady LP” was massive because you knew as a child you shouldn’t be listening to it, but Eminem was extremely funny”.
That mix of humour and rebelliousness made Em a favourite for kids everywhere — because what is better than listening to something you are technically not supposed to?
